Everything the story does, is done well. With the exception of the amount of time it takes to kick off. However, it has caused me to Smile, laugh and there was even a few tear jerking moments, which for me is a rarity and the way this is possible is what the Mystery dungeon series does differently from every other Series in the Pokemon Franchise.

It gives the Pokemon personalities. They aren’t just cool monsters. You can actually get emotionally invested in them. They are In depth characters, they grow and change. From the energetic hot headed Emolga, to the timid Dunsparce. All of these Laughs, smiles and tears. Are all brought from all the antics and tribulations of these characters you spend 20 – 30+ hours with, and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. One thing to be noted though is that there is no voice acting at all in this game, so be prepared to do a lot of reading.

Gates to infinity’s overall presentation has had a total overhaul to really take advantage of the series finally making it’s debut on the 3DS. The soundtrack is feels more ambient then previous installments. While that does give the dungeons a better sense of wonder and mystery, it wears off quickly especially in the longer dungeons where paying attention in those is needed, and dull ambient music doesn’t help that at all. Boss themes are great however and the overworld theme for Post town is fantastic and I can’t get it out of my head.

The visuals make a departure from the series staple of sprite work and 2D environments and bringing the series into the 3D world, and it’s beautiful. It’s bright and colourful no matter where you go. The world and the Pokemon themselves have never looked better. The dungeon environments are diverse. From frozen tundras to mountain tops. It feels like you’re always going to a new place, which stops the typical dungeon crawling from feeling stale.

If you’re not familiar to The Mystery dungeon series, it is a Isometric grid turn-based dungeon crawler. Gates to infinity is no different. If you have played a previous installment and looking for a lot of new gameplay elements. You won’t find it here. Combat is mostly the same, you learn new moves as you level up, you can evolve, you can have many items at your disposal, and you can still recruit other Pokemon into your team.

Gates to infinity seems to focus on being an accessible pick up and play dungeon crawler, and it does this really well. You can easily breeze through a side quest while on the go, even if you’re in one of the longer dungeons there is a quick save option for you to just pick it up later. However this accessibility seems to sacrifice depth. The combat’s simplicity is a blessing and a curse, never feels like it evolves over the course of the game. The changes you can make to team tactics are way to minimal, and while the dungeons are visually diverse, most of the time it feels like i’m wondering through hallways.

If you can ignore these problems and enjoy the combat, you have a big game in front of you. A main story taking roughly 20 – 30 hours, The ability to generate your own dungeons, side quests, and challenge quests are there for you. Then there is your base of operations called “Paradise” which is where you can clear land to build shops, mini-games, Raffles, dojos and a whole lot more to build a community out of all the Pokemon you have recruited throughout the game. While doing this through normal quests to get all the materials you need to accomplish this can take some time. It’s all worth it to see your community grow and even rewards you for it. With Nintendo finally embracing DLC there is even more content for you to discover if you’re looking for it.

The mystery dungeon series is back! While it doesn’t change much to the previous installments, it’s still an accessible dungeon crawler, if you don’t mind the repetition Gates to infinity is a great way to spend a good 20+ hours.